Montreal Canadiens: The Secret About Kaiden Guhle Is Out, He Is A Stud!

The Montreal Canadiens’ onus on drafting defensemen over the last six years has earned the organization quite the pipeline, and one guy has emerged as a fair bet to be a top-pairing staple. That would be Kaiden Guhle.

Guhle appears to get better every game, and while he isn’t immune to mistakes, they are very rarely caused by mental miscues. He appears to be in the right place at the right time, and his ability to recover should a puck bounce go the wrong way looks so effortless. The 6’2″ 205 lbs Sherwood Park, Alberta native, gets out of trouble with swift skating and a smart defensive stick, and his strong edges allow him to pivot before exploding through the neutral zone in a couple of strides.

You name it, and Guhle can do it, and the Carey Price cool gene seems to have been handed to the 21-year-old. In just his second season, he appears to be taking a huge step right before everyone’s eyes. The potential was always apparent, and now he is blossoming into an absolute stud, he is still so young, and he has so much room to grow, and he already looks like the Canadiens best defenseman.

I’m not quite sure how the blueline will look in the future, but it is quite apparent that this team has many really talented young defenders coming through the line. Guhle is ready for the top power play, and he is a strong penalty killer. The offence will come, he has the tools – a heavy shot, and great three-way mobility along the blueline – as the confidence grows he will very likely score quite a few goals.

I have seen Jake Sanderson comparison’s, and the argument that he is better than Guhle. But I didn’t bring up his name to have a debate, but merely to look at a contract that will end up a steal for the Senators. I wonder if the Habs wouldn’t benefit from putting the ink to the loose leaf and locking up Guhle now before he hits his stride.

Along with Guhle, there is a blend of everything in the defence pipeline, for example, David Reinbacher’s poise, sound defensive play and untapped offensive potential. There’s also Arber Xhekaj’s physicality and stout defensive play, with the offence starting to come through. Jordan Harris provides a smooth skating, responsible puck mover whose hockey IQ is off the charts.

Logan Mailloux and Lane Hutson look to be viable options for the top two power-play quarterback roles of the future, with so much offensive potential. Justin Barron has taken a step in the right direction, and there are a plethora of names I haven’t mentioned…Adam Engstrom, Bogdan Konyushkov and Jayden Struble, to name a few. The moral of the story is that, while fans are freaking out about the offence, we have to trust in the management team put in place to right the ship, and they have done so on the blue line.

They have cap space, and assets, such as the three goaltenders to facilitate trades. There are opportunities available to increase the amount of picks and perhaps even take a sniff at the free-agent market in July. But one thing is for sure, the Habs have a stud defender in Guhle, and his ability and potential to become an exceptional defenseman who does everything exceptionally well is well on its way

I think that Guhle will reach it, I see a blend of Shea Weber and Duncan Keith in his game. I’m no expert, but I believe this guy is the real deal, and the secret is out in Montreal. The league will take notice, and his next contract will reveal just how important he is to the team.

Want your voice heard? Join the A Winning Habit team!

Write for us!